Mattgsa 315 gallon build

[RJKain-777]

It's in and I have pictures

No new tank would be complete without some kids in the tank.

Looks great, that stand is beautiful !

 

[mattgsa]

Since I took the day off of work I decided I better get some work done.

 

[mattgsa]

There is still a great deal of work todo. I need to figure out some way of managing all these wires, and then figure out where to put the control panel so all the wires will reach. I must admit this project is a little overwhelming. There is so much that needs to be done, it's hard to track it all. I keep coming up with things that I didn't think of prior. In my defense, I have never planned a tank this larg before.

I didn't understand the sump. In the picture above you can see where they put the dosing line bulk heads. However, I believe the correct skimmer hole is past that point. So if I'm dosing aminos they would all end up in the skimmer. So I moved the skimmer up prior, and I will make the small hole for the refugium.

I was also kicking myself for not planning ahead when ordering the sump, and there are only 3 inlets for the tank, I didn't have one added for the frag system. That is totally my fualt, and I will have come up with something later. ;Facepalm

 

[RJKain-777]

There is still a great deal of work todo. I need to figure out some way of managing all these wires, and then figure out where to put the control panel so all the wires will reach. I must admit this project is a little overwhelming. There is so much that needs to be done, it's hard to track it all. I keep coming up with things that I didn't think of prior. In my defense, I have never planned a tank this larg before.

I didn't understand the sump. In the picture above you can see where they put the dosing line bulk heads. However, I believe the correct skimmer hole is past that point. So if I'm dosing aminos they would all end up in the skimmer. So I moved the skimmer up prior, and I will make the small hole for the refugium.

I was also kicking myself for not planning ahead when ordering the sump, and there are only 3 inlets for the tank, I didn't have one added for the frag system. That is totally my fualt, and I will have come up with something later. ;Facepalm

With your sump, take your emergency drain and have it drain into your fuge/skimmer section, leaving the pipe outlet 2-3 inches above the water (splashing will alert you of something is wrong), then use the empty hole for your frag tank.

wire management is something we all struggle with. Don’t over think it!

 

[mattgsa]

With your sump, take your emergency drain and have it drain into your fuge/skimmer section, leaving the pipe outlet 2-3 inches above the water (splashing will alert you of something is wrong), then use the empty hole for your frag tank.

wire management is something we all struggle with. Don’t over think it!

Thanks, I was thinking something along those lines.

 

[mattgsa]

Looks great, that stand is beautiful !

Thanks

 

[Gablami]

Thanks, I was thinking something along those lines.

It’s also not hard to drill pvc with a hole saw if there’s a spot for it. Just do it now when you can take it out of the stand and have room to work. Once it’s running it’ll be a lot harder.

 

[mattgsa]

It’s also not hard to drill pvc with a hole saw if there’s a spot for it. Just do it now when you can take it out of the stand and have room to work. Once it’s running it’ll be a lot harder.

Thanks. I will have to drill it where it is. because I can't get it out without removing the tank from the stand. That tank is way to heavy for me to lift.

 

[Gablami]

Still, better to do now than later. Can clean out the shavings and sand down the edges.

 

[mattgsa]

I'm not sure why everyone complains about cleaning the aquarium. It's so easy

 

[mattgsa]

I stopped by the local plastic supply here in San Antonio during lunch and picked up a piece of 1/8" black ABS for the bottom of the tank. I'm really glad this company was in town. It would cost over 200 dollars to ship. Now I just need to order some black silicone to install it with.

 

[revhtree]

I'm not sure why everyone complains about cleaning the aquarium. It's so easy

HAHA! Is that from EcoTech or what?

 

[mattgsa]

HAHA! Is that from EcoTech or what?

No, but i will send them the idea.
I'm lazy, thus, there will be plenty of automation. Not to mention when I asked the kids if they would clean out the tank they all said no.

 

[mattgsa]

Well only made a little progress this weekend. I got the ABS cleaned and silicone down. I still have some clean up to do with the silicone since I got some on the glass, however, I don't think that will take very long. I'm still waiting on some plumbing parts and the calcium reactor.

I'm thinking that I will have to shift the sump all the way over to the right side, that way all the wires will reach the control panel. I gut some wire finger gutters, however, I'm not sure how they will work due to the fact they will get in the way of the plumbing. I can't decide where to put the calcium reactor, I was thinking of putting it under the stand but I still want it easy to get to.

 

[mattgsa]

Alright, I finally got all the rock unpacked from the boxes, This is by no means the final rockscape, although I kinda like it, and it was easy to do, but no. The wife thinks I need another 80lbs, but I want to start laying it out before I buy more rock. I do like some of the negative space rock layouts, I'm just worried there will not be enough room for all the corals that I want to put in the tank. I have a feeling I'm going to be a collector.

 

[blfuller123]

Looks like a great build so far. I almost ordered an AA sump but kept reading about the delays they were having so I went another route and I am having delays this way...

 

[mattgsa]

Looks like a great build so far. I almost ordered an AA sump but kept reading about the delays they were having so I went another route and I am having delays this way...

I'm sorry about that, perhaps it is par for the coarse these days. I hope it comes soon, I know waiting is the worst part. I'm still waiting on my calcium reactor.

 

[mattgsa]

I think I got the rock work the way I want it. I have not glued it because I want to make sure I have enough room for corals, so I may change it. But I will certainly glue it before I put water in the tank.

 

[IKD]

UPDATE: Going with a 315-gallon tank instead of the 220.

I have had several saltwater aquariums in the past of all different shapes and sizes and loved them all. However, this is my first build thread. My last tank was a 90-gallon aquarium where I was growing Acropora. I loved the challenge of getting them to grow and to thrive in the environment I built. There was a tremendous sense of accomplishment that came with seeing them grow. I learned a great deal from the successes and failures of those tanks, and I look forward to implementing what I learned with this next tank.

Tank
Right now, I’m looking at getting an 8-foot glass aquarium from Planet aquariums a wooden stand also from Planet Aquariums. The new tank will hold 315 gallons with a bare bottom and an external overflow. I will be most likely implement the bean style drain. The tank will drain into a custom 72" sump from Advance Acrylic.

Filtration
For filtration, Royal Exclusiv Bubble King Supermarin 200 Protein Skimmer. In addition to the skimmer, I will use the filter socks. Other than running a carbon reactor when necessary, that will constitute the bulk of the filtration. The sump is large enough to where I can add refugium in the future should the need arise. The water will then be feedback to the display via a Varios-6 pump. I’m considering upgrading it to the 8, or just adding a second one, and it will serve as a backup.

Water Changes
Water changes will be done automatically with a Neptune DOS. Right now, I’m thinking about doing 7 gallons a day from a 200-gallon saltwater reservoir. I will monitor the saltwater reservoir and freshwater with a Neptune FMK. A Varios-4 will be used for mixing the saltwater. I’m lazy; thus, you will see a lot of automation in this build. I will use Tropic Marin pro reef salt.

Dosing
I will start with BRS Kalkwasser until the demand goes up. At that time, I will add a GEO calcium reactor. I will feed it with an FX-STP Wifi Peristalic Continuous duty pump. (Changed my mind, I already ordered the calcium reactor.)

Lighting
Lighting is is a subject that I’m going back and forth on a lot. Right now, I think I will start with 3 Radion V5 Pros mounted on the RMS track. I’m also thinking about getting two tracks to hold 6 XR-15, that way I have more control over different parts of the tank. In the future, should the demand for light go up, I will simply add anther XR30 or two more XR15’s. I love the look of this; I just can’t stop thinking about the added benefit fo adding some T5. I just think it would take away from the overall look. That being said, the coral’s health is the top priority.

Stocking and Rock
I don’t have a complete list of fish I would like to add to the tank. I will undoubtedly add tangs to the tank. I have four young kids, so I'm sure a few fish from Nemo will find their way into the tank. Also, there are several Angle fish I would love to have in the tank. The problem is the corals I will most like keep. Along with several wrasses to help pick off any unwanted guest. Being a bare bottom tank, I will have to be careful with which wrasses I pick.
This tank will be dominated by Acro's. However, the wife loves the look of zoanthids and paly colonies, so I think I will have to have a few of those, thus, the problem with Angle fish. I’m sure the list of fish will evolve. However, right now, my priorities are getting the environment ready to support Acro’s.

Rock
I will use dry rock. I plan on ordering roughly 350 pounds of rock from BRS, some of it will go in the sump. Since I’m using dry rock, I’m going to let the tank cycle for four months with no lights with Dr. Tims and a couple of fish, probably a clownfish for the kids. Having to wait four months will be the most challenging part.


Flow
I’m a huge fan of the Maxspect Gyre. I will have one each side of the tank. I will also use a couple of MP40 for additional flow, and to help keep things from settling on the bottom. They will be connected to a backup battery.

RODI
I have a 7 stage RODI with BRS media, along with two TDI meters.
Heating
For heating, I will use an electric heater controlled with the Neptune controller. I'm also thinking about adding a rain bird in there since I read an article that stated controlling the heater with the Neptune energy bar can cause the socket to quit working. Additionally, it will provide some backup in case the heater malfunction or a temp prob goes out.

Power
I have talked to the wife about running the whole tank of solar and batteries. Since I'm using DC pumps, and I live in Texas; heat is not a real problem. This is still very much up in the air. It would just be nice to know that should the power go out, the tank will not.

Definitely following! I’m setting up a similar build (8ft, 325g) with AWC and Geo CaRx. You are a few weeks ahead of me at the moment.

where will you have your DOS? I was leaning towards Versa due to the noise concerns I keep seeing with the DOS running AWC. Mine will be in the same room so didn’t want to deal with that.

 

[mattgsa]

Definitely following! I’m setting up a similar build (8ft, 325g) with AWC and Geo CaRx. You are a few weeks ahead of me at the moment.

where will you have your DOS? I was leaning towards Versa due to the noise concerns I keep seeing with the DOS running AWC. Mine will be in the same room so didn’t want to deal with that.

Thanks for following along. I welcome any feedback. Since the tank is in its own room, all the equipment will go behind the tank. I'm most likely going to be doing the water changes at night so will most likely not be able to hear them. That being said my water storage containers are in the garage. I could put the dose out there. However, I'm going to be using DOS's for other types of dosing so it may be a moot point. I'm am trying to minimize noise where ever I can, but it is not my intent to make the tank dead silent. The health of the corals and fish will certainly rank higher than noise. Not to mention I have four young kids, I don't think anyone will notice the tank noise over them. LOL